REMOTE PLAY

Playing Online

There are several options available, the biggest problem is finding someone to play with in your timezone. In the past had the best fun playing by email with the group using ftmap to send out the turn updates every few days. Now we have full hosted online games sign up for Full thrust Online.

Full Thrust Online

New online game play now in beta test, join the beta test. This runs in the browser and is self hosted so no server or setup. It runs in any modern browser and has been optimised for mobile play so you can play in the car or wherever you have some time, say at the airport, your lunch break. It also works offline so can be played on a plane. Rules cover Fleet Book Volume 1 and most of Fleet Book Volume 2 (Sa'vasku will be coming) and Full Thrust & More Thrust

Table Top Simulator

Table Top Simulator  — a Steam game that runs remote board games, you both need a copy to play it its about £15/$15. There was a Full Thrust module for it but it was broken because the author lost access to the 3d models someone else was hosting. I made a fixed version this using some TTS mod models. Here some more  useful workshop items 

• TSS Ship Models, 

• TSS Game Parts, 

• Four player Full Thrust game

FTJava

WM FTJava — was a very good Java client for a Java based server that could run remote games. The Java client is was difficult to use,  without the latest server code that does game and player management and matchmaking. 

I did see Bob Blanchett say on BBG that he has the server code and he posted on 8 March 2019 the server was up and running. I have an old local copy of the FTJava client v1.3.2. This will run a game via an email server but doesn't do game management or player matching that was in the last official release.

Also all the scenarios are missing which is a big hole too.

The client was active here on Dan Belzek's site until Dec 2019 to v5.0 sadly I don't have a copy if anyone does please let me know. The newest version had game and player management and a slightly better orders UI and integrated SSDs on the orders panel.

NEW A new version FTJava 2.0 is now available for beta testing this supports offline and online players. This is a fork of FTJava 1.3.2 to support modern systems. There is also a brand new how to play guide. This is by far the best Full Thrust remote play solution.

Vassal

Vassal  — is a open source Java table top simulator that you can customise. There is now a  Full Thrust module for it so check that out ASAP.

Roll 20

Roll20  —  paid hosting website for multi-player table top games, it has a free tier. No Full Thrust games so far 

Foundry VTT

Foundry VTT —  is a paid licence for a hosting platform for role playing games but it is very much an open sandbox. You can run some space combat games on it someone has converted the FASA Tactical Combat Simulator to run on it. There may be limitations as movement is grid based.

Discord

Full Thrust Gamers Discord —  Discord is a free chat app where communities gather in servers to talk by text, voice and video, in channels sorted by topic. It started with gamers and is now used by every kind of group. Handy Discord guide video for beginners. Discord give you realtime messaging which is the key component for online play.

This is a Full Thrust Discord server where resources are shared & online games are played like PBEM. Discord is not the best format for a PBEM as there is no threading unless they use the forum channel type, there are none on this server. Discord is basically a forum with one huge post per board. There are some interesting posts here you just have to read it all or know what to search for. 

If you are looking for someone to play in the flesh with it might be a place to start. If you are tyring to coordinate starting an online game it's ideal coordination as its a realtime communication tool like WhatsApp or Slack. You need a Discord account to join here before you can access the invite. Discord runs in an app or the browser. 

Discord has its own way or working and some quirks, you have a list of channels related to topics in this Discord the online play channels are called #pbp-game-channel #pbp-game-channel-2 #pbp-discussion.